Hungover
by Rasiaa
Summary: "His kids are growing up before he can stop them, and he doesn't know what he'll do without them." Or, three times Harry got drunk.


_Just for the record... I hate this one. It doesn't sound right. Can't get it the way I want it. If anyone has tips, please, send them my way._

 _For The FRIENDS Comp. on HPFC forum_

* * *

"I'll see you, and I love you. Yeah, mum, I know. I'll be careful. Yes, I'll call when the plane lands. I promise. I'll call when we reach Charlie's, too… yeah. Okay. I'll talk to you soon."

…

Teddy was the good one.

Then he went to college to study archaeology and join his uncle Charlie in Romania at a dig and Harry hasn't seen his oldest son in over a year. This is the first time Harry really drinks himself to sleep- the week after Teddy left, he barely remembers. Ginny isn't in a better state, though not drunk, just slightly tipsy, so they both whine over their aching heads together and grieve like Teddy had died.

James is twenty and has no plans for his future. Ginny wants him out of the house just because he's an adult, now, and Teddy had left the day he turned eighteen- not that that was Ginny and Harry's choice- and James makes a general nuisance of himself, hiding in his room, avoiding chores, not paying any kind of rent instead of the chores. He's a mess. Ginny just wants him to be okay by himself, and while she swears she'll never throw him out, Harry can tell she's at the breaking point.

Albus is eighteen and has an apartment lined up with Scorpius Malfoy and plans on getting a job after he moves in. Harry doesn't know what is going through that child's head, but he asked that they pay the down payment and first month's rent and not a dime more, and since the Potter family has more money than god, Harry said what the hell and went with it.

Lily is sixteen, a little spitfire and she just caught a record deal.

Harry drinks more than he ever has. His kids are growing up before he can stop them, and he doesn't know what he'll do without them.

…

The day after James gets home from illegal gambling, Harry finds a bottle of whiskey and drinks the whole thing by himself.

He regrets it when Ginny laughs at him the next morning. "You did this to yourself, honey," she says. "I'll bring water and aspirin."

He groans as she flings open the curtains and the sunlight hits his face. He rolls over and buries his face in the pillow, trying to curb the ache in his head. It's pounding just behind his eyes and it makes them painful to move.

He doesn't know how he's gonna manage without moving his eyes, but that's okay. For now, he'll just lie here with them closed and hopefully fall back to sleep.

…

He finally gets out of bed at three in the afternoon.

He doesn't puke, thank god. He just sways a bit and swallows heavily.

With a hand on the bed frame, he heads into the bathroom and runs water over his face and hair, trying to clear the fogginess. He grabs his robe from the hook and throws it on, not bothering to close it completely since the knot would be tight on his stomach and he still isn't sure he won't throw up.

When he gets downstairs, James has a job application in front of his for the ice cream shop up the street and Ginny is standing behind him, watching him fill it out. "No, no," she says. "You forgot to mention the part where you mooch off your parents without paying us back for your food and the roof over your head…" James scowls at her.

"I'm getting a job now, aren't I? I'm trying now!"

Ginny cuffs him over the head. "Don't talk to me like that, young man," she scolds lightly. She looks at Harry. "Hello, love. James is finally getting a move on with his life. He's even texting with a girl he met while at the grocer's last month…"

Harry grins. "I can't believe it," he jokes, and Ginny snickers while James' face flames bright red. He reaches over and ruffles his hair. "We're glad, James. You clean your room and we'll call it even."

James eyes him dubiously, while Ginny chimes, "No rent, either, love. Just save some money and I want to see you set a goal for your future. College, work, apartment, house, whatever, I don't care, just get some focus."

"…Okay."

Harry feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.

…

When Albus moves out, Harry doesn't get drunk. The kid's been dying to get out for years, and they never got along very well. He loves Albus to death and would do anything for him, of course, but they didn't click. Not like he clicked with Teddy, or with Lily. James and Albus were more Ginny's kids. That was okay. That's the way these things work sometimes.

"Mum, Dad! I did it! Vevo certified!"

Lily's a hit within a year. She goes overseas and tours with some singer Harry doesn't care to know the name of right now, and he drinks himself to sleep on wine and skittles.

The next morning is hard, too. It's different. Lily is seventeen and she's not even on the same continent anymore. It wasn't like when the boys left. When James and Albus eventually took their leave, Ginny cried all night. Now, Lily is gone and Harry finds himself leaning on the sink, his reflection a blur. Ginny comes to him and the house is too empty.

When the boys left, they went up the street. Or to the next town over. In Teddy's case, he was out of the house for four years before he left the country. This time, Ginny drinks with him, too.

The hangover next day absolutely sucks.


End file.
